Ashley Tapia, LCSW Expert Witness

Child & Family Trauma Mental Health Expert

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Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

General Specialties:

Mental Health and Child Abuse

Keywords/Search Terms:

Children's Mental Health, Bullying, Child Depression/ Anxiety, Foster Care, CPS Investigations, Child Protective Services, Childhood Trauma, Family Violence, Family Based Treatment, Behavioral Health, Social Work, Pediatric Mental Health, Reunification, Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, Early Childhood Development

Education:

Masters of Social Work, California State University, Long Beach; Bachelors of Science, Child and Family Development, San Diego State University; Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Certification, Georgetown University

Years in Practice:

8

Additional Information

Ashley Tapia is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in California and Texas specializing in child and family mental health. Ms. Tapia earned her Master of Social Work in 2019 from California State University, Long Beach. She has four years of experience working as a Protective Services Worker with Child Welfare Services in both Orange County and San Diego County. In this role, she conducted child abuse and neglect investigations, assessed child safety and risk, and worked closely with families involved in the dependency court system. She also provided reunification services, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to support family stability and promote safe parent–child relationships. Since 2022, Ms. Tapia has provided psychotherapy services in children’s mental health in both inpatient and outpatient settings, serving as a clinician and program manager. In these roles, she has delivered intensive individual, group, and family psychotherapy to children and adolescents between the ages of 0–18, while also supervising clinical programming and coordinating care. Her work includes diagnostic assessment and treatment planning using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). Ms. Tapia will receive her Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Certificate from Georgetown University in May 2026. Her clinical specialization includes the treatment of depression, anxiety, trauma, major life transitions, and behavioral challenges in children and adolescents. As part of her private practice, Ms. Tapia performs psychological evaluations for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and Immigration Court. Since 2024, Ms. Tapia has completed over 100 immigration psychological evaluations. As a forensic evaluator, Ms. Tapia is specifically trained to conduct psychological assessments that address psycho-legal questions, with a focus on the legally relevant aspects of the client’s presentation. Ms. Tapia is bilingual in English and Spanish and holds the Sweetwater High School District Seal of Biliteracy Distinction.